Anderson Silva Will Fight Daniel Cormier At UFC 200

Last night, Jon Jones got pulled out of this weekend’s UFC 200 for failing a drug test. Daniel Cormier was devastated, bemoaning his lost chance to get revenge on Jones for beating him in 2015. Dana White said that he was looking for last minute replacements instead of scrapping the fight, and it turns out that MMA legend Anderson Silva is going to step up and fight Cormier. Brazilian site Globo reported that Silva would be the replacement this morning, and TMZ and Ariel Helwani both confirmed it this evening.

Last we heard from Silva—who is 41 yeas old and has not won since 2012—he had to pull out of a fight against Uriah Hall in May to get gallbladder surgery. Over the past half-decade, Silva has struggled with numerous injuries and failed drug tests, most recently for penis drugs in August 2015. He’ll have to fight with just three days notice, and part of why he’s the replacement is because he was in Las Vegas already, per MMA Fighting:

The UFC spent all of Wednesday night and Thursday trying to find a replacement opponent. Silva, the former middleweight champion, was already going to be in Las Vegas to induct his mentor Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira into the UFC Hall of Fame on Sunday. Silva was the UFC’s desired choice from the beginning.

The fight will not be a title fight, and Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes will be the new main event.